I already have my own little piece of paradise. :))) About 1200m2 in Tassie, have and/or planted lots of fruit trees (figs, persimmons, apples, pears, cherries, nectarines, apricots, peaches, plums, avocados), various fruit bushes, and keep planting (many more to go yet). Luke has recently build a glasshouse, and we are planning to plant some custard apples inside it. Not quite tropical here but let's face, there will be a fruit forest here in a few years so who would want to move??? As far as my job, research in maths is my passion and getting paid for what I love doing is a bonus. No way I would want to give it up!

Zoe, I agree with you; if we are to create a fruitarian paradise on Earth, this will mean teaching everyone to live within a symbiotic relationship with all eco-systems. Urban fruit farms and eco-friendly low impact living in towns and cities is a must for every human being to aspire to: fruitarianism is a feasible way to achieve this. However, it would need an immense shift from the current economic paradigm, to an Ecological centred concept, which would engender the environment for the Earth to become "forest Eden" again. Not everyone can uproots and go to a tropical paradise; creating the change in towns and cities within urban conglomerates is a must, and for the human race to learn to live in harmony with nature.

my friend Melekai is a midwife. She is the co owner of GaiaYoga Gardens, a permaculture community here in East Hawaii that is focused on holistic living lifestyles such as midwifery and growing all our own food, etc.

This makes no sense to me. You'd still be working. You'd still have a job. You'd be a farmer. The time you would have used up 'working' would be used up farming the land, picking the fruits and vegetables, tending to the crops, organizing re-seeding, and doing all the other things it takes to run a farm.

Why not leave the farming to the farmers and work doing something you love instead? That's why we specialize. We let someone else make our furniture so that we can give them something in return. We trade and we all win.

I would love to do this. Except I would still do some other things... like teach others. I don't think I'll be able to do that though because I want to live near my mother and she isn't excited about leaving the country. And immigrating with 3 others seems daunting. Especially when none of us know anything other than English!! Of course, we can/should learn. I'd move to Florida, but that's already been vetoed.